About World’s Largest Teapot
Chester’s giant teapot began life as something completely different. Before it became a roadside monument, the structure was an enormous wooden barrel used to advertise Hires Root Beer.
William “Babe” Devon brought the barrel to Chester and converted it into a teapot in 1938. A large handle, pouring spout, windows, and other additions transformed the cylindrical structure into an oversized piece of tableware. The interior was used as a concession stand selling refreshments to travelers.
The landmark survived changes in roadside traffic, ownership, weather, and periods of deterioration. It was eventually moved and restored, preserving a piece of the era when businesses routinely turned buildings into giant food, animals, and household objects to attract motorists.
Today the teapot stands near the Jennings Randolph Bridge and remains one of Chester’s best-known landmarks. Its origin makes it stranger than a simple oversized sculpture. Someone looked at a giant root-beer barrel and decided the logical next step was to add a handle and spout until it became enormous kitchenware.